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Friday, 6 February 2015

So, to start with what is Apply 2? Well, it’s an opportunity for you to add a new training programme if you’ve been unsuccessful or declined your original choices. It starts on 2 January and runs until 9 October. You can add one additional programme from any that have vacancies.

Where can I find vacancies?

You can check what courses are available in our search tool - the vacancy status will indicate whether there are places. It’s also a good idea to double check with the training providers, just to make sure they’ll consider your application through Apply 2. To do this, just give them a quick call – you’ll find their contact details also in the search tool.

How do I add a choice through Apply 2?

If you’re eligible, you’ll have the ‘Add Apply 2 Choice’ option under your original choices in Track. We’ve got more advice on how to add a choice here.

When will I hear back from the provider?

The providers have 40 working days to make a decision. If you have a change of heart and want to apply elsewhere, you can add a new programme in place of your current one. But be aware, this will cancel your original choice which means they’ll no longer be able to offer you a place.

As soon as you’ve changed your Apply 2 choice, the 40 day reply period will start again, so make sure it’s something you want to wait for. It’s always worth speaking to the training provider first to find out when they’re likely to make a decision and to make sure you’re not losing any valuable time by choosing a different provider!

When do I reply to an offer?

If you receive an offer, you’ll have 10 working days to accept it. The place will be declined automatically if you don’t reply so make sure you keep an eye on Track! If this happens, you’d need to speak to the provider straight away to ask if they can still offer you the place.

If they can, they’ll ask you to add them as your Apply 2 choice again, then they can make another offer for you to accept.

If you have any questions about Apply 2 then have a look on our website or get in touch with our advisers on Facebook or Twitter.

You may have heard your teachers or friends talk about something called Extra. This blog post will answer all your questions about what it is, who it’s for and whether it’s the right choice for you!

What is Extra?
Extra begins on 25 February and is an opportunity for you to apply for another course if you’ve used all five choices and don’t hold any offers. You can add one choice at a time, and if you’re unsuccessful or you decline an offer you receive then you can add another choice up until 2 July.

Is Extra for me?
Extra is available to anyone who has used all five choices and not accepted a place – it could be because they were unsuccessful with all five or they received offers but had a change of heart and decided the courses weren’t right for them. Either way, Extra is another opportunity to find a place on a course.

It’s worth keeping in mind that you can’t change your personal statement or reference on your UCAS application, so if you decide to apply for a completely different course, speak to the uni first to check if they’d like a different personal statement from you. If that’s the case, they’ll ask you to send it straight to them.

Where can I apply?
Not all universities will have places in Extra, so you need to do some research into what’s available in our search tool. If you select the option ‘Show courses in Extra’ from the filter, your search results will show only courses with vacancies.

Once you’ve found a course you like, add it in Track by clicking on the ‘Add an Extra choice’ option on the ‘Your choices’ page.

When will I hear back from the universities?
If you’ve not heard back from the university after 21 days of adding your choice, you can add another one in its place up until 2 July. By doing this however, you’ll cancel the one you originally applied for, so make sure it’s definitely what you want to do! If you want to wait to see if the uni will offer you a place (they have until midnight on 16 July to make a decision) you can do this – it never hurts to ring the uni if you want to check how long you’re likely to wait for their decision!

If you get an offer from the uni, you’ll need to reply by the date shown in Track. If you don’t then your place will be declined automatically – so pay close attention!

Have any further questions about Extra? Have a look at our website or get in touch with our advisers on Facebook or Twitter.

Monday, 2 February 2015

You might have heard stories about unconditional offers, and how a friend-of-a-friend’s next-door neighbour’s cousin received one before they got their exam results. In the past this would probably have been an urban myth or at most, not the whole story. However, some universities are now making unconditional offers to exceptional applicants who don’t have their results yet.

Mark Newman,UCAS Adviser, explains what you need to consider if you’re thinking about accepting one of these offers, which remain relatively rare.

Mark Newman, UCAS Adviser

Having an unconditional offer from your favourite university at an early stage of your application can be very reassuring. It means that if you select them as your firm choice, you will definitely be accepted on to the course, regardless of what grades you get in the summer.But there can be a bit of confusion about accepting unconditional offers, so before you select one as your firm choice, make sure you know the facts.If you accept an unconditional offer as your firm choice:1. your exam results won’t affect whether or not you get accepted but that doesn’t mean they’re not important. Here’s why:

When you apply for work placements and jobs, you will be asked about your qualifications. Often there are requirements from pre-university qualifications.

When you start at uni you’ll be straight into assignments, coursework and for many courses, exams. The qualifications you’re studying for at the moment are essential preparation for this and are the foundations of your future studies.

Your new course mates at uni are likely to have completed relevant qualifications before they’ve started the course, so you’d have to play catch-up from the moment you arrive if you chose not to finish your A levels or equivalent. That’s not easy when you already have so many new things to learn.

Sometimes things don’t go to plan. If you arrive at your chosen uni and decide it’s not right for you, you may choose to reapply for other unis or look for jobs instead. Leaving gaps where your education is concerned could have a negative impact.

2. you cannot have an insurance choice. Because ‘unconditional’ means you’ll definitely get a place on the course, you don’t need the option of another choice. If instead you accept a conditional offer as your firm choice then it’s OK to accept an unconditional offer as your insurance choice. That said, a university may stipulate that their offer is only unconditional if you make them your firm choice, so be sure to check any terms attached to their offer before you reply.

3.you can’t just go into Clearing to accept a different university if you decide on results day that you no longer want the place. By accepting the offer you’re entering into a commitment with the university, so it’s really important to make sure you pick your favourite choice to be your firm choice. If your insurance choice is unconditional, you also need to be prepared to be accepted by that university if you are unsuccessful with your conditional firm choice.If you need help deciding which offer to accept as your firm choice, speak to your tutors and careers advisers. Family and friends can also offer alternative perspectives you might not have considered, and reading blogs from current students already at your university choices can provide a valuable insight into what it’s like to be part of their student community.